The Phitotechny Institute “Porumbeni” developed corn hybrids resistant to drought. The Institute’s director Pintilie Parvan said the average corn harvest in a year with drought is 2 tonnes per hectare, but owing to these hybrids the crop is thrice higher and reaches even 7 tonnes per hectare this year, IPN reports.

Corn is cultivated on about 35% of the arable land worldwide. Pintilie Parvan said climate change determines the creation of new hybrids that would meet the conditions in the countries where corn is grown. Though Moldova is a small country, it is divided into zones and subzones where different sorts of corn must be cultivated.

“We want to show the producers that we already have hybrids that are resistant to drought. We know that the agricultural producers face two problems – the rapid evaporation of water from seeds, and we have hybrids that swiftly release moisture, and the drought, and we also have hybrids that are resistant to it,” stated the director.

Parvan suggested modifying the structure of corn fields in the country so that hybrids resistant to drought are cultivated in the specific zones, with a low level of moisture, and other types of hybrids are grown in the zones with a higher level of moisture. A working group of experts should be set up to establish the new structure.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Ion Sula welcomed the idea of creating the working group, saying such a group could be convened at the Ministry next week. He promised that the development of new corn hybrids will be supported, voicing hope that the Moldovan hybrids will conquer foreign markets.

As to this year’s corn harvest, the minister said that even if the corn only started to be gathered, it is anticipated that the yield will be by about 40% lower than last year.